The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-16
SANTA FE.-
The New County Around Meirose-a Dis
eussfon of the Situation-A Well known
Citizen Gives the Reasons and Motives


The New County-Around MeIrose-a Dis
custom of the situation-A Well Known
Citizen Gives the Reasons and Motives
MELRosE, FLA, April 18th, 1897.
Correspondence Palatka News
In your issue of the Sth inst. noticed
an article from my friend, DIR. McMeek-
in, in regard To the division of Putnam
County. Now / do not think it exactly
fair to refer to the matter as project to
divide Putnam County, as that is not our
intention at all but rather to take a small
portion from it and the other three
counties that come together here, and
organize a new county from them.
If you will examine the map you will
see that We are very inconveniently sit
uated as the counties now are. Under
the most favorable condition of the roads
it requires trip of two or three days for
the citizens of some of the counties to
visit their county site and return, and
there are times when it Is almost impos-
sible for them tn reach the county site
ON account of high water. The time lost
in making the trip is worth great deal
to the farmer, frequently causing him
great loss. Take Melrose as a center the
nearest courthouse, Gainesville, is Is
miles off and the furthest, Lake Butler,
is between thirty-six and forty miles, and
the main object we have in asking for
new county is to get a courthouse near
| er to that can visit and transact
| any business that we may have there
| and return home the same day.
| 1 can appreciate the feelings of the
citizens of old Putnam in leaving her
with reluctance, as they have become
| attached to her, and feel proud of her
achievements and the great reputation
she has all over the Union. L have
always felt proud that am a citizen of
this county, and it is with great degree
| of reluctance that | will leave it if we
succeed in organizing the new county,
and were it not for the fact that believe
it is needed and the people want it, l
would not aid in the movement.
| 1t is generally admitted that our cOun-
ties are all too large, and they will have
| to be- divided up at some time in the
future, and why not begin now: Ii a
majority of the people desire it and ask
for it why should any one object: DIR.
McMeekin is too good Democrat to
object to- the people having their way
when a majority of them wants a
thing, and a majority of the
voters living in the territory of
the proposed county have already, or
will in the next few days, sign a
petition asking the Legislature to organ
ize it. Some have objected to it ON ac-
count of a fear that the taxes will he
greatly increased for at least several
years, as necessary buildings will have
to be erected, but this, think, is an
erroneous idea. If the county is granted
in accordance with the petition we will
have the prettiest county in the State,
with natural advantages second to- none.
There will be no expensive bridges to
build and keep in repair, and as for the
public buildings it is not proposed to
erect very costly ones at the start. They
will not cost half as much probably As
those that the old counties propose t.
build in the near future. Putnam
county, if reports be true, has about de
cided to build "A new Court House, anC
Palatka will not want one that will cos
less than forty or fifty thousand dollars
Clay and Bradford will both probably
: build within "A year or two. as both coun
, ties need them badly. When the division
. of counties in the future come We viii
necessarily form a part of a new one, ano
we are certainly better able to bear TIN
expense of erecting buildings now thai
after helping the old counties erect fin,
: buildings. 1t is not customary to nam.
a child before it is born, but / sugges
, that this one be- named Santa Fe.
FRANK MCRAE.